A group of 33 individuals toured the People's Republic of China and the Soviet Union under auspices of People-to-People International. Physics education in and general impressions of these two countries as well as problems and values associated with this kind of travel program are discussed. (JN)

Reviews a six-part series (available as 16mm film or videocassettes) in which actors portray scientists lecturing on various topics/issues. Scientists portrayed include Louis Pasteur, Charles Darwin, William Harvey, Gregor Mendel, William Beaumont, and Hans Spemann. Also reviews a film detailing construction of the Multiple Mirror Telescope on…

Describes the Whimbey-Lochhead approach to help students develop problem-solving skills, providing instructions for using the approach in instructional programs. Includes a list of 70 tactics or heuristics used (or misused) in problem solving. Other ideas and information from books and articles on problem solving are included. (JN)

Suggests that exposure to science should not be confused with understanding science or with scientific literacy. Indicates that in spite of taking science classes, few students come through this experience with more than a fleeting glimpse of science, and fewer still retain any lasting impression of the scientific world. (JN)

Discusses types of mass media suitable for use in science classrooms. Types of media, limitations, and instructional strategies are provided. Also provided are three case studies illustrating their use. Comments on making media available to students and an annotated list of several resources are included. (JN)

In guided design, students are led through the process of solving open-ended problems in "slow motion." Steps in the decision making involved in and examples of guided design projects in a physical science course are outlined and discussed. Comments on student evaluation of the course are included. (JN)

TESTOR is a computer-assisted testing system that provides student evaluation while simultaneously managing all records associated with a program of individualized instruction. Use of TESTOR in a general biology program, at the University of Missouri, is described. (JN)

Describes a two-semester course designed to meet the needs of future elementary teachers, home economists, and occupational therapists. Laboratory work includes homemade calorimeters, inclined planes, and computing. Content areas of the course include measurement, physics, chemistry, astronomy, biology, geology, and meteorology. (JN)

Describes a course taught at Auburn University (AL) for middle school students. Includes rationale for the course, instructional strategies used, comments on skill building, and descriptions of individual activity stations. Possible spin-offs from such a class which can improve science teaching in the public school classroom are also considered.…

Describes a course focusing on science, technology, and the nuclear arms race. Two sample homework exercises and course topics are provided. Topics, with lists of questions that might be addressed, focus on nuclear weapons, alternatives to deterrence, and arms control. Approaches to teaching about the nuclear arms race are also provided. (JN)

Course topics for and instructional strategies used in an undergraduate nuclear war course are provided. Strategies include use of documentaries, cartoons, and fiction films to enhance reality of concepts being discussed. The course was successful as judged by oral/written student evaluations. (JN)

"Perspectives on Nuclear War" is an interdisciplinary course offered at the University of Wisconsin-Madison on an experimental basis during the 1981-82 academic year. Course scope/structure (including lecture schedule), readings, and requirements are provided. Suggests that similar courses should be developed and installed in curricula of all…

An interdisciplinary course at Yale University focuses on "The Bomb" as a case study in the cultural consequences of a major technological innovation. The course, relying on documentary/feature film resources, is organized historically and traces the consequences of the innovation through the perspectives of several disciplines. (Author/JN)

Describes a course on the nuclear age taught at the John F. Kennedy School of Government. Almost all of the material covered has some political content, from weapons design and doctrine to decisions related to arms control. A list of reading resources used in the course is included. (JN)

Suggests that science-related material on nuclear war be included in introductory courses. Lists nuclear war topics for physics, psychology, sociology, biology/ecology, chemistry, geography, geology/meteorology, mathematics, and medical science. Also lists 11 lectures on nuclear physics which include nuclear war topics. (JN)